Our Mission

We empower students from all backgrounds to be courageous and compassionate changemakers for themselves, their communities, and our planet through transformative education aboard our iconic tall ships.

World Ocean School provides immersive, hands-on education to more than 600 students from diverse backgrounds each year. Since our founding in 2002, more than 23,000 students have participated in our programs.

AWARDS

Sea Education Program of the Year 2021

Tall Ships America

Sail Training Program of the Year 2019

Tall Ships America

World Ocean School offers immersive educational programs aboard two historic tall ships, Denis Sullivan and Roseway - in classrooms students will never forget.

Not only do students become ocean scientists and tall ship sailors while on board, they learn transformational life skills including resilience, self-reliance, teamwork, and courage. Many parents have shared that their children’s lives have been fundamentally changed as a result of our programs.

Through the World Ocean School experience, students…

Gain an enlarged and expanded perspective of themselves, the world, and their place in the world

Develop an understanding of both the grandeur and fragility of our world, including a deep and healthy respect for nature

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Acquire a viewpoint around which they can develop their own truth and purpose

Learn how to take care of a place and a community, developing skills they can then scale to the wider world

Encounter history on a traditional sailing ship, exposed to enduring practices that are relevant today, even in our techno-focused world

Are imbued with patience and resourcefulness that will serve them well in any age, navigating every circumstance

Programs That Work

Students who participate in our programs take a pre- and post-program survey that prompts them to think critically about their confidence and comfort with various skills, abilities, and beliefs in themselves across 12 categories. These assessments consistently report that World Ocean School students grow in all areas, with notable growth in areas such as resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Results from these pre- and post-program surveys show major improvement in 21st-century resiliencies over the course of a World Ocean School program. Results above are from 2023.

Our Core Values